Mac Miller dead: US rapper dies aged 26

Artist reportedly found dead in California home

Rapper Mac Miller has died at the age of 26.

His family has confirmed the news in a statement, describing him as "a bright light in this world", but did not reveal any further details about the cause of death.

Miller, whose real name is Malcolm James McCormick, was found dead in his home near Los Angeles, California shortly before midday, according to a statement from the coroner.

The artist, a platinum hip-hop star, had struggled with substance abuse in the past, most recently facing charges for driving under the influence after a hit-and-run accident. The incident came weeks after his breakup with his girlfriend of two years, pop star Ariana Grande.

Miller opened up about his drug use and struggles with depression on the 2014 album "Faces," which Rolling Stone named one of the top 40 rap albums of the year.

Discussing his music in a profile for Vulture, Miller said he used to “rap super openly about really dark s***, because that’s what I was experiencing at the time".

"That’s fine, that’s good, that’s life," he added. "It should be all the emotions.”

Ms Grande also made it clear that drug abuse played a role in the couple's split, calling the relationship "toxic" and pushing back against claims that she was somehow responsible for his arrest this spring.

“I am not a babysitter or a mother and no woman should feel that they need to be. I have cared for him and tried to support his sobriety & prayed for his balance for years (and always will of course)," she wrote in May.

In an August interview with Rolling Stone, Miller said he was in a better place and had stopped using drugs. But he also reflected on the pressures of living his life in the spotlight, saying: "I’ve been in the tabloids so much randomly recently that I’ve realised that I just don’t care what people think of me. Why stress things that you can’t control?”

Miller released his first mix tape in 2007, at age 15, under the stage name EZ Mac. He later signed with Rostrum Records under the name Mac Miller, and his debut album, "Blue Slide Park," reached the top of the Billboard charts in 2011. He released a total of five studio albums, collaborating with artists like Earl Sweatshirt, Talib Kweli, and Schoolboy Q.

Tributes from other artists began pouring out as reports of Miller's death surfaced.

"I dont know what to say, Mac Miller took me on my second tour ever," tweeted Chance the Rapper. "But beyond helping me launch my career he was one of the sweetest guys I ever knew. Great man. I loved him for real. Im completely broken. God bless him."

Rapper Missy Elliot called Miller a "kind spirit," while Snoop Dogg reminisced about a movie the two had shot together.

The artist's latest album, "Swimming," was released last month, and he was planning to go on tour again starting in October. He announced the tour in the last tweet sent from his account, writing: "The show is going to be special every night. I wish it started tomorrow."

Agencies contributed to this report